Daily Archives: February 21, 2014

Brian Cladoosby, NCAI President

Brian Cladoosby serves as the 21st President of NCAI.  In October 2013 at NCAI’s 71st Annual Convention he was elected to serve his first term as President of the organization. He is currently the President of the Association of Washington Tribes and has previously served as an Area Vice President on the NCAI Board. Brian Cladoosby has served on the Swinomish Indian Senate, the governing body of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, since 1985.  He has served as the Chairman of the Swinomish Indian Senate since 1997.  

Chairman Cladoosby is one of our most senior tribal political leaders in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest and his experience is reflected in his numerous commitments.  He is the President of the Association of Washington Tribes, Executive Board member of the Washington Gaming Association, past President of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, has retained a seat on the National Congress of American Indians Vice Presidents’ Board, and is continually active in tribal and state politics. On an international basis he is the Co-Speaker of the Coast Salish Gathering, which comprises British Columbia First Nations and Western Washington Tribes.  

In 2011 at the Reservation Economic Summit & American Indian Business Trade Fair, Chairman Cladoosby was awarded the American Indian Tribal Leader Award for his exceptional achievements. Each year this award honors an outstanding leader who supports American Indian business and economic development endeavors in tribal communities. 

Chairman Cladoosby has been instrumental in the domestic and international emergence of the northwest Indian country salmon and seafood industry.  Swinomish Fish Company buys and sells seafood products from tribal, national and international companies, continuing the “buy and sell native” motto of Indian Country. He shares a vision with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community members to have a strong economic development plan that supports a way of life for today and future generations.

Swinomish is located in the Northwest and has grown our gaming investments from the early days of bingo halls to the full capacity of a gaming enterprise, and expansion into a new resort and golf course.  Like many tribes across the nation, our funds support governmental services and financial support for our community.

Brian and his wife of 35 years, Nina, have two daughters LaVonne and Mary, son-in-law Tylor, granddaughter Isabella and grandson, Nathanael.

Photos from USGS Gallery

For Immediate Release
Contact: Sandra Kaiser
Media and Community Relations Manager
Phone: 360-867-5213, email: kaisers@evergreen.edu
February 18, 2014

Leader Challenges Higher Ed to Better Serve Native People
(Olympia, Wash.) How to improve educational success for Native Americans will be the theme of a lecture by Brian Cladoosby, current president of the National Congress of American Indians, and chairman of the Swinomish Indian Senate. He will speak on “Tribal Self-Governance and Indian Education” at The Evergreen State College, on Wednesday, February 26, in the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Cladoosby’s lecture marks an enhanced effort by Evergreen to develop curricula and programs that meet the needs of Native students. Some 4.5 percent of current Evergreen students are Native American. The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center is the first Native longhouse built on a public college campus in the U.S. The college also offers a master of public administration degree with a concentration on tribal governance, a program of study on Native American and world indigenous peoples, and sponsors a reservation-based program where classes are offered locally and the study topics are determined in partnership with tribal authorities.
“We’ve come a long way in collaboration with Native communities, and we want to do more,” said Evergreen Provost Michael Zimmerman. Zimmerman cited the recent appointment of former Makah tribal chairman Micah McCarty to the new post of special assistant to the president for tribal government relations as a vital part of the college’s reinvigorated outreach.
Cladoosby’s visit to Evergreen will help faculty, students and the public understand what’s at stake as statistics continue to show Native students falling behind in high school and college graduation rates.
“Chairman Cladoosby’s stature as a national figure and his ideas on how to provide quality education that respects and addresses unique Native cultural and linguistic needs make him an especially important interlocutor on these issues,” said McCarty. “He’s an exemplary leader, and a collaborative partner for Evergreen.”

The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native organization, serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. As one of the most senior tribal political leaders in the Pacific Northwest, Cladoosby has been influential on Indian governance, environmental protection and educational advocacy for decades. He is the president of the Association of Washington Tribes, and co-speaker of the Coast Salish Gathering, which comprises British Columbia First Nations and Western Washington tribes.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is $2.00. The Evergreen State College is located at 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, in Olympia.

Laura Grabhorn
Assistant Director, Longhouse
The Evergreen State College
(360) 867-6413 phone
(360) 867-6699 fax
GRABHORL@evergreen.edu e-mail